Are you considering a career as a Medical Assistant but don’t have the experience that other candidates have? A great way to get a competitive advantage in the workforce is by attending Medical Assistant Training. In addition to classroom lectures and laboratory assignments, you will participate in a medical assistant externship. But what is a medical assistant externship?
What is a Medical Assistant Externship?
A medical assistant externship offers hands-on experience in a real medical setting for you to practice your skills that you have learned in the classroom. Hunter Business School offers a medical assistant externship at the end of their medical assistant program. A medical assistant externship has many benefits. These benefits include:
A Competitive Edge
A medical assistant externship can give you practical experience before entering the workforce. It can also be included on your resume to get a competitive advantage during the hiring process. Most employers are looking for trained individuals to save on the resources that come with on-the-job training. With a diploma and a completed externship, you will have a competitive advantage on other candidates.
Networking Opportunities
A medical assistant externship is a great way to build a network of professionals that can guide you through your career and pitch in during a gap in employment. The people you meet during your externship may even offer you a job after it is complete. Make sure to keep in touch with the people you meet during your externship. You never know when you will need a helping hand during your career.
Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses
During the medical assistant externship, you will have time to assess your strengths and weaknesses. You can put your classroom theory to the test and see which topics you need additional experience with. You will be also able to list your strengths on your resume and improve your weaknesses before you start working as a medical assistant.
A Glimpse of the Future
An externship in medical assisting is a great way to see what your future as a medical assistant will look like. Once you graduate and get into the field, there are many specialties, like geriatrics or pediatrics, for example. You can also choose to be a generalist working in a traditional doctor’s office. Do you enjoy phlebotomy and only want to draw blood? Are you passionate about electrocardiogram exams and want to become an EKG technician? There are many options for advancement and lateral moves during your career. The path you take after a medical assistant externship is up to you.
Gaining Practical Experience with Patients
During lab tasks, you will primarily perform medical assistant tasks with a classmate or using a medical manikin. However, during your externship, you will get plenty of experience performing your medical assisting tasks with real patients. This will help build your confidence and strengthen your abilities. You will also learn how to properly communicate with patients and display empathy.
What to Expect From an Externship?
Near the end of your medical assistant program, you will start your externship at a medical facility. During a medical assistant externship, you will spend a large part of your time shadowing a medical assistant professional. You will ask questions and follow the medical assistant through a daily routine. Plus, you will get an opportunity to perform some of the tasks with strict supervision. This way you can see the proper technique and reinforce the skill with hands-on training.
What is the Difference Between an Externship and Internship?
There are a few differences between externships and internships. An externship is an unpaid role that involves shadowing a medical assistant professional as they perform daily tasks. You will get up close with the medical assistant you are paired with and glean valuable insight into the day-to-day tasks. On the other hand, internships are either paid or voluntary roles that a professional either in college or after graduation performs. They are responsible for their real-world tasks while working under supervision. While an externship is a training exercise, an internship involves actual daily work that you should already be familiar with.
How Do I Become a Medical Assistant?
A great way to become a Medical Assistant is by attending a vocational school program. At Hunter Business School, we lay a foundation of knowledge for you to build upon throughout your career. Our instructors have been in your shoes and know what you need to succeed. They create lesson plans that build your knowledge in medical assisting, and classes progress in a way that offers a complete curriculum. After completing the Medical Assistant program, you will be ready to see patients as a medical assistant.
How Long Is a Medical Assistant Program?
Hunter Business School offers you a quality education in months, rather than years. By attending full-time, you’ll graduate in as little as 7 ½ months. Part-time programs take just 15 months, which is still half the time of a 4-year college degree.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what a medical assistant externship is, it is time to learn more about Hunter Business School. We have been helping students graduate into vocational careers for over 50 years. Our mission is to offer you an opportunity to receive a high-quality education for the career you are passionate about. Let us help you start this journey toward a rewarding career that you will enjoy for years to come.
Want to Learn More?
The Medical Assistant Program at Hunter Business School prepares competent, entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains required for professional practice. The Medical Assistant program provides hands-on experience in a real medical setting where you can foster professional relationships with actual patients. Medical Assistant students spend 160 hours in an externship in an actual medical environment where they are supervised and taught in order to gain valuable on-the-job training.
The Medical Assistant training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 9355 – 113th St. N, #7709 Seminole, FL 33775 upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Contact us today to find out more on how to become a medical assistant on Long Island.